


Moonshadow Racing

by Rumo (Rumo_writes)



Series: Moonshadow Racing [2]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Lujanne is the PR manager, M/M, Modern AU, Moonshadow racing, Motorcycle Racing, Runaan is a racer, Street Racing, The dragon prince - Freeform, Tink is a mechanic, Tinkaan, tdp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2019-11-18 20:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18126032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rumo_writes/pseuds/Rumo
Summary: Set in the modern day, Runaan is a motorcycle racer who builds his own bikes. One day he meets a short haired guy in a diner in the middle of the night.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is purely self indulgent and nobody can stop me now :D  
> This AU is free to create in if you like! I can also provide character sheets if someone is interested.

The darkness melted into blurry lines as he passed the outskirts of the city, making his way through empty maze-like streets at neck breaking speed. A pull on the accelerator and the traffic lights blurred even further, turning into stripes in his peripherals vision as he leaned in for the next curve, knees scraping over the asphalt. He’d have to change the protectors before his next trip, they were wearing off.

There weren’t many people awake at the time, mostly shift workers on their way to or from work. The occasional cab. Just enough to force him into a slalom course every so often, keeping the bike from top speed. He passed the city centre, retouring back into the outskirts. The machine roared as he kicked it into gear, driving faster than any speed limit would allow. It didn’t matter. For the cops to arrest him, they had to catch him first. Needless to say, they never did. Mostly didn’t even try anymore. He hummed in anticipation at the next curve, tightening his hold around the hull of the engine.

Nothing beat the feeling. Just him and the bike. Leaving everything else in the dust. Adrenaline pulsed through his veins when he leaned down, the machine tilting to an almost impossible angle as he scraped along the curve with burning tires.

His PR-Manager Lujanne would most definitely scold him for the trip later but it was hardly his fault sleep made itself scarce in-between competitions.

In the distance, he could make out the rapidly approaching lights of a 24h diner. There was no way he’d go back to sleep now. Not with the fresh push of adrenaline. Might as well get a coffee while he figured out how to modify the moonshadow for his next race. There was always something to improve.

Only seconds later, he pulled on the vacant parking lot, dismounting the steaming bike. He’d have to do something about the heat problem. Otherwise the whole thing could very well combust under him. Not bothering with the Visor, he pulled the helmet off completely, hanging it on the handlebar. Nobody around to steal it anyways. At quick glance at his smartwatch told him he’d been driving for about an hour and a half. Not bad for the distance he’d covered. San Francisco was difficult terrain after all. With all of it’s hills and curves. Shrugging off the skin-tight leather jacket, he pushed through the double doors, causing the little bell fastened above it to jingle. It was empty except for a built, short haired man in an orange apron who was scrubbing the counter while watching a re-run of the latest race.

Runaan tracked his gaze for a few seconds before recognizing the run. He’d won that one a week ago. The waiter’s head snapped around once the bells reached his ears, regarding him with an assessing glance. “Hello, what can I get you?” his voice was warm and melodic despite the late hour and Runaan immediately felt himself drawn closer. Another night-owl as it seemed. Maybe a kindred spirit even. “Hey, large coffee please, black.” Instead of sitting in one of the booths, he chose a seat at the counter that allowed him to see the TV. “large black coffee coming up.” The friendly waiter announced just as he’d settled, freeing his long, braided hair from where it was securely tucked in his dark green under-armour. “Like racing?” he asked when the other’s gaze travelled back to the screen. He shrugged, running a hand through the messy brown strands. “I like the bikes. Nothing as fascinating as a smooth-running machine.” Runaan hummed in agreement. “Mhm. You drive?” A chuckle this time “Yeah, since I was a kid. Nothing as fancy as those though.” He motioned for the screen “Don’t really have that kind of money.”

“They do cost a fortune.” The racer allowed, thinking about how much money he’d put into his bikes. Considering he made a living off of his racing and patents he deemed it more than worth it. “What do you drive, then?” A small grin tugged at the waiter’s lips “A Triumph Scrambler, all original parts and two other bikes I mess around with for fun.” He whistled “Not bad, so you’re a mechanic?” That would be even more they had in common but the other shook his head. “Nah, not really. Never finished my engineering degree and my mentor at the garage had some different thoughts on how to do stuff so I didn’t finish that either. How else would one end up in an empty ass diner in the suburbs?” unfinished engineering degree? Interesting. “I get that,” he really did, the only reason he endured it was that he finished a year early “college is not for everybody. Pity though that you didn’t get to be a mechanic.” A soft hum was he only response he got as the short haired man turned his focus back to the racing figures on the screen. Runaan was content watching the rerun in silence, almost grimacing every time he found a minor fault in his run. Damn perfectionism. He was glad he’d kept a low profile media-wise, never really getting caught on camera without the helmet with its tinted visor or his usual sunglasses and baseball cap to block his features. Sure, there were some low-rest paparazzi shots but nobody would be able to recognize him on those. Every once in a while he hacked himself though the social media channels and deleted the ones that weren’t to his liking. The anonymity allowed him to take trips like this, speaking to strangers without getting recognized.

A familiar tickle in his fingertips reminded him of the Adrenaline slowly leaving his system again, the restlessness taking it’s place. With a sigh, he retrieved the crushed box of cigarettes and a lighter from his jacket. “Mind if I smoke?” he hadn’t seen a sign on the door but figured asking was only polite. “I don’t mind. What do you do for a living?” Ah, a tricky question. What did he do? A lot of things. “Something like an engineer you could say I guess.” Cigarette now plucked between his lips, he flicked the lighter, watching smoke rise in front of his face. A deep tug later, he could already feel the nicotine. Relief flooded through his system, calming him instantly.

“Then I got a question for you…” the waiter turned his attention back to the screen as he spoke “Why do you think the Moonshadow Racing team keeps those extra deflectors over the engine? They must slow the bike considerably given their placement.” Runaan almost bit through his Cigarette. Did the guy just criticize his design? “The heat?” he managed after another healthy pull before stubbing it out in the ashtray, busying himself with the coffee instead. “Then their mechanic is clearly shit-“ this time Runaan couldn’t help but splutter into the cup. How dared this guy? The Moonshadow was the fastest bike in his class, hell in all the classes. However, the barrista continued before he’d regained his composure enough to argue. “- you could just install a wind channelling system to cool it down.”

“The bikes aren’t fast enough for that.” Of course, he’d already thought about that. More than probably healthy if someone was to ask Lujanne. “Not if you add a water-based system. Granted, it would add about half a pound of weight but that’s still less than the deflectors plus the aerodynamics would be way better.” That-

Runaan opened his mouth only to abruptly snap it shout again. That was brilliant. Absolutely genius. In a matter of seconds, he’d downed the coffee and slapped a 50$ bill on the counter while simultaneously shrugging into his jacket. “I have to go. Thank you for the coffee. See you around!” he managed to shout over his shoulder before the door fell shut behind him, leaving a confused barrista in his wake. He had to get home. To the garage. As fast as possible. Runaan couldn’t remember an occasion where he’d covered the sixty miles to his estate with bordering track faster. His mind was buzzing, already sketching out schematics while he wove through the streets ignoring each and every traffic law that ever existed.

By the time Lujanne came around in the morning he’d completed the new system for the Moonshadow and was just about to jump on the track for a test. “I know you’ve been out again last night.” The older woman scolded as she regarded his state of dress, still the under armour shirt and sweatpants, with a scrunched nose. “Yeah, yeah lecture me later. I think I got her a good few Millisecs fester.” He didn’t bother going to the bathroom to change into his leather combo. He still wore the under armour and she’d seen him in far less.

Despite the shake of her head, he could see the small smile tugging on her lips. Lujanne loved his antics. They made him unique as she put it. Before she could lecture him anymore, he was already rolling the bike out onto his private track.

He really was faster. Not much but definitely impressive for a first prototype built in a few hours of adrenaline high and sleep deprivation. “You know,” Lujanne started as soon as the helmet left his head “if you wouldn’t scare the mechanics away all the time you wouldn’t have to do all the work by yourself.” His most charming smile did nothing to impress her “I like doing the work, besides I may have a candidate.” That got her attention. “Where is this coming from all of sudden? I thought other people ‘distract’ you.”

“They do.” They did. Runaan worked best alone in his workshop in the middle of the night, music blasting though expensive stereo speakers. “But some fresh ideas never hurt.” A smirk appeared on her face as a light grey eyebrow arched itself doubtfully on her forehead. “Do they now?”

“Lujanne? Just spit it out. I know you got something to say.” The smirk tuned into a shit-eating grin. “That mechanic, he didn’t, by chance, happen to be attractive?” There is was. Though her assumptions were entirely wrong. He was genuinely interested in the other’s ideas. Solely the ideas. “Now I regret asking you.” With a few quick movements he had the new system uninstalled again. Time to improve it to perfection. “The person in question actually gave me the idea for this-“ Runaan shoved the schematics in her face knowing full well that she wouldn’t really care. “-so I figured it would be interesting to see what else they can come up with. Don’t you think?” but she already waved him off. “Yeah, yeah you do what you want it’s your money. But if you cause a scandal, I’ll have your ass.” Of course he though “By the way you have a charity dinner this Saturday-“ Runaan couldn’t help but groan. “Hgnh, you know I hate those. Can’t we just donate money?” the older woman scolded him with a stern look he swore could fell the biggest lion. “It’s all about visibility. So quit whining. You got another one on Sunday.” That made him stop from where he was lying under the dike he’d hoisted up on the hydraulic ramp. A quick push sent him rolling directly in front of her feet, the board that supported his upper body stopping just short of her legs. “You make me do two in one weekend?” the racer tried his best puppy dog eyes “What have I done to upset you?” She looked down at him with an expression somewhere between exasperation and amusement. “Nothing. They just happen to be on the same weekend.”

“Can’t you just go for me?” it was worth a shot. Those social gatherings were usually more than just exhausting. Standing around the whole evening in a fancy suit and making small talk was nothing the engineer looked forward to. Lujanne however refused as expected from previous tries on his part. “You are 27, you will survive two evening making nice with some rich upper-class snobs. I’ll even take care of the organization.” That was something. “Including wardrobe?” No way he was taking time to go through his wardrobe with her for four hours again to find the ‘right’ dark grey suit. She smiled wolfishly, fully aware that she just got her way with minimal arguing. “You will have three options for each night. I’ll make sure they fit and won’t wrinkle under your leather.” Runaan perked at that “You aren’t mad I’m planning to drive there myself?” She’d been furious when he ditched the limousine and got there on his bike the last time. “As you showed on your last charity dinner, I can’t keep you from being a reckless idiot so this time, I’ll just make sure you at least look decent and don’t show up all sweaty in a wrinkled suit and messy hair.”

Sometimes he swore she acted like his mom. Granted, Lujanne was the closest thing he had to a friend and to be honest, Runaan didn’t really mind. “We had the highest Media coverage on that one and I didn’t even had to show my face.”

“Yes” he could basically hear the eyeroll. “Because you almost caused a scandal for unprofessionalism.” It only made his smile grew wider “The press lo-o-ved me.” He sang, busying himself with checking some of the screws. “Only because you have a few loose screws yourself, hotshot.”

“Ouch” the racer raised a hand to his heart in fake shock “You hurt my feelings Janne.”

“As if you had any. I will be preparing you dinner appearances. Please look over the report I left on you desk by tomorrow. The Tech Department needs your approval before they can ship out.” Before he could muster a response, she was already out of the door, probably on the phone with at least four designers. There was a reason he payed her more than any other Secretary earned in their branch.

By the time night fell, Runaan had adjusted, tested and readjusted the new system to a point where he was able to scrape four milliseconds off his time without even trying that hard. With a rueful look at his workshop, he made his way up to the living area, pleased to find some Chinese waiting in the microwave. God, what would he do without that woman? Luckily, the report was fairly short so he managed to proof the forty pages within the next two hours. Lujanne would be happy. He figured keeping her on his good side when she was deciding what he was gonna wear for two major events with heavy media coverage. Otherwise he would be showing up in that horrible purple Armani suit with the rhinestones she made him wear one time. Hell, he was still hacking himself in numerous databases every week to delete any picture that ever existed of it but somehow, they kept popping up every once in a while.

Placing the finished report, including his approval signature in the ‘out’ box on his desk, Runaan glanced at the binary clock above the door. Two am. Legs propped up on the glass surface of his table, he debated whether he should go down to the garage again. The intensifying agitation in his bones however urged him to move. Theoretically, he thought while lighting a cigarette, he needed sleep. Desperately so if he wished to endure the charity dinner in two days but even if he’d swallow half a bottle of sleep meds it wasn’t gonna happen. He knew the tug, the familiar urge that forced him on the track. It would only go away once he’d hit at least a hundred and fifty miles per hour. After all, he did go down to th garage but not to work, no. He changed back into his leathers, donning a new set of under armour as he’d been wearing the previous one for two days now, and got his street bike.

The Moonshadow and all her backups (strategically numbered) sadly didn’t clear for public traffic use as her Top speed and acceleration exceeded the law regulations by far. His street bike, he called her ‘sparkle’ just to humour Lujanne, did too once he flicked a few switches, but nobody had to know that, right?

An hour later, he found himself in front of that diner again and decided to pull over. There was probably a reason his subconsciousness led him here again so soon. Just like the day before, the diner was empty safe for the short haired barrista. This time, he was watching a re-run of an older race, probably three years ago form the look of it. Somehow Runaan was relieved he wasn’t in it. He didn’t really feel like talking about work tonight. “Ah, hey it’s you again.” The barrista looked surprisingly cheerful once he’d noticed his presence. It was probably getting boring pretty quickly in here. He couldn’t possibly imagine doing nothing for hours, simply waiting for the next customer to come in. “the same as last time?” with a nod, he claimed the same barstool he’d used before, tracking the other’s hands preparing his order. “You were pretty rushed yesterday.” Runaan felt bad about it now, He tended to zone out completely when having a new idea and it often led to him dropping everything, literally, to start on it. His mind wouldn’t rest otherwise. One time he’d bolted from the opening of a new race track, all but dropping his champagne on the floor because he figured out how to reduce the weight of his bike while still adding more structural integrity. Lujanne didn’t let him live that one down for months. In the end, it had increased his firm’s stock value by 100% and reduced his time to a new personal best. “Yeah, sorry about that. I had something to take care of.” A low chuckle escaped from the other’s chest as he placed the steaming cup before him. “That much was obvious. Not that I’m going to complain, you are the only customer after all.”

“Hmh, not much going on there.”

“Yeah well, tell me about it. Sometimes I feel like crawling up the walls after a ten-hour shift of doing absolutely nothing.”

“A shame.” Runaan flicked the lighter on and off a couple of times before finally lighting the cigarette “You do make pretty good coffee.”

“Considering the machine does all the work, but thanks.” The barrista hoisted himself up on the counter, cradling a cup of his own. “You tampered with it didn’t you?” the smug grin was enough of a response. He really liked that guy. “What would you say if I offered you a job?” the sentence was out before he could really think about it, but he’d meant to ask anyways so why not sooner rather than later? “I would probably ask you what kind of job you had in mind and how you got the idea to offer it in the first place.” Of course, dumb question. “That thing you said yesterday was pretty ingenious. It can cut up to four Millisecs of time.”  The barrista raised his eyebrows, taking a sip from his coffee. “Yeah I know. That’s why I wondered why nobody thought about it before. But what’s that got to do with anything? It was just an idea.” For someone so self-assured, he thought pretty lowly of his creative value. “Do you think you could come up with more of those ideas?” a shrug “Probably.”

“In that case-“ Runaan placed one of Lujanne’s business cards on the table, not willing to give up his identity just yet. “I would like to offer you a position as mechanic in the Moonshadow racing team.” The barrista’s eyes widened at the black card with the holographic turquoise logo. “You- what? I didn’t even finish my degree.”

“So what? It’s not about some degree-“ he’d seen more than enough of idiots at university “It’s about what you can and can’t do. And you- I didn’t ask your name, sorry?” the other cleared his throat, still looking shocked “It’s Sol.”

“-Sol, you just came up with a great idea and I’m sure there will be more.” He nodded, examining the card in his hands. “So, you work for them? Sorry but you can’t be much older than me and they just let you hire a college drop-out?” Runaan smirked, this was going to be so much fun. “Request a few days off and call Miss Illura. She will give you all the info you need so you can come I for a few day’s trial. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to take us up on the offer.” He could see him contemplating his options while the short haired man still turned the card in his hands. “I could probably get time off in two weeks if I ask really really nicely.” Great, he had him in the bag. So much for his incapability to talk to people over business, Lujanne. “Perfect. There is a charity race in two and a half weeks. You can come along and see for yourself if you like.” A little hesitantly, Sol pocketed the business card, cradling his cup again. “Won’t I be in the way?” Runaan chuckled thinking about his non-existent team. “We don’t really have that much staff. You’ll be fine. Lujanne will be awaiting your call tomorrow.” In fact, he only had Kourou and Annie who posed as box crew in case there had to be a tire change. He placed a bill on the counter, sliding from his seat. Lu would be pissed if she got wind of him being awake for the whole night again. “See you in two weeks.”

He made it to his bed by four thirty, that gave him about four hours before Lujanne would show up. Freshly showered, Runaan fell into his bed, asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

Something bright shone into his eyes, causing him to instinctively cover them with his arm. “Good morning.” Shit, it was her. He must have slept through his alarms. “What the hell Lujanne? What time is it?” through his rapidly blinking eyelashes, he could see her making a show of looking at his alarm clock. “nine am.” Shit. “Have you been watching me for thirty minutes?” she scoffed. “As if anybody would want to see that. No, I made breakfast, you have five minutes.” Runaan propped himself up on his elbows, eyes finally adjusting to the light. “And please, “ she added before descending the stairs that led from the kitchen to his alcove bedroom “-put on some clothes, ok?” With a sigh, he let his head drop back on the pillow before rolling out of bed in his boxers.

He dressed in the first hoodie and sweatpants that were lying around and tapped down the hardwood stairs barefoot. Lujanne was already sitting on one of the barstools surrounding the kitchen island, munching on a bowl of grapes while reading over some documents. She pushed a bowl of awfully healthy cereal in his direction as soon as he took a seat beside her and scrunched her nose when he dumped a few spoons of brown sugar and some grapes from her plate into it. “Your nutritionist would disapprove.”

“I’ll run more laps later. It’s hardly edible without any flavour.” She shook her head but kept silent, his relationship with food was a strong one. “I hired the new mechanic.” That go her attention. “Did you, now?” Runaan took his time to answer, busy shoving the cereal in his mouth. “Kind of. I offered the job and told him to call you today so you can arranger for him to come to the St. Patricks hospital fundraiser race to see if he wants the job.” She nodded, making a remark in her blue moleskin calendar that never left her side. He was certain she slept with it under her pillow. “Why in two weeks and not now?” She was curious about the barrista, he had to smile. Always out for the gossip that woman. “He has to free time with his current employment. Besides I figured it’s best if he comes during a race because there isn’t really anything exciting to be done at the moment aside from fine-tuning.”

“Mhm” she hummed, closing the file she was reading. “And you want to show off.”

“Stop assuming I got motives for everything I do.” Again, the doubtful eyebrow. “Don’t you? Anyways, what is his current employment?” Ah she wouldn’t like that one. “He’s working as a barrista. I happen to come across the diner he works in a few days ago. And he gave me a really valuable idea.” He winced as Lujanne spluttered on her Earl gey “You hired a waiter? From a diner you happened to stop at, probably even in the middle of the night?” Of course, she’d be mad. After all it was her job to ensure positive publicity. “Well, he started an engineering degree-“

“Started?”

“Look-“ he pinched the bridge of his nose, willing his brain to finally wake up. “I’m sure this is going to work out just fine. It was you who told me I needed a new mechanic after all and with this one I’m sure I don’t have ti fire him because he turns out to be a complete idiot. So, please be nice when, if, he calls and arrange everything, okay?” Sometimes he wondered who was the boss here. “Only if you come with me now to look at the suits I picked out for tonight.” That; that had been surprisingly easy. “Ugh fine.” The engineer picked up his bowl and obediently followed her back up to his bedroom where the garments in question were already hanging neatly pressed on the hook next to a floor lengths mirror. None of them was purple, that was something.

At eight pm on the dot, Runaan pulled up to the Great American Music Hall in Tenderloin. At least the venue was nice this time. He was really sick of the opulent operas those charity dinners were usually held in. Reporters were already waiting at the entrance, interviewing anyone of name that entered the building. Like vultures. Not that he blamed them, it was their job.

Usually he always sported sunglasses to those events and arrived with enough security personnel to block the cameras and keep his anonymity. The tinted visor of his helmet made things a lot easier. Probably why Lujanne had agreed so readily. When he killed the rumbling engine on the street in front of the main entrance, their attention snapped to him and in an instant. Even through the UV-protection he’d lowered before pulling in the street, he had to blink at the camera flashes. How did people endure those without sunglasses? Immediately, an errant boy came running to take his bike to the parking space. It took him all his self-restraint to hand over the keys. If there was one thing he hated it was strangers handling his bikes. “One scratch and I will kill you.” Runaan couldn’t within but whisper as he placed them in the boy’s hand who nodded dutifully, seemingly used to those threats.

He wore one of his leisure leather combos since there was no way he could fit a suit under his racing gear. Those were practically moulded to his body. Instead of the dark green and turquoise adjourned with his sponsor’s logos, it was a rather discrete dark blue. His helmet and the bike were more than enough to make him recognizable, especially for reporters whose sole purpose it was to find celebrities who didn’t want to be found. He dutifully waved at them upon passing, answered a few of their questions and reminded of the charity race he’d been participating. That should make Lujanne happy.

Once inside, he left his helmet and combo with the concierge at the cloak room. The boots stayed on. To his surprise the suit really wasn’t wrinkled at all. Even though he may have driven a little faster than allowed, Runaan still looked impeccable. His secretary must have performed some kind of sorcery on the fabric, he thought as he looked himself up and down the bathroom mirror to fix his hair. She had really picked a nice suit. A dark teal fabric that bordered black in a good way with a crisp white shirt and turquoise tie in the exact colour of his eyes. It even matched his motorcycle boots for god’s sake. Somehow, he found himself curious what she’d picked for the next day. Not that he cared of course.

Back in the ball room he let himself be shown to his seat and ordered a Virgin Mojito instead of the expensive champagne the rest of his table was drinking. He even recognized a few of them as CEO’s of other motorcycle companies. Runaan mustered his most charming smile at their curious looks regarding the non-alcoholic beverage. “I still have to drive my bike back home.” The table laughed at that, apparently taking the statement as a joke. Idiots. They immediately engaged him in a very boring conversation about stock values where he had to stop himself from correcting their math several times. God how he hated those events. They were even worse without a good drink. Maybe driving there himself hadn’t been the best idea after all.

The good thing about smoking, it provided the perfect excuse to leave the scene and take a few minutes alone whenever the company annoyed him too much. Runaan left early, only staying the time he deemed was polite. As he donned his leather combo and helmet, his eyes flicked over the tracker on his wrist. Almost Midnight, maybe Sol was working already. He shook his head in confusion. Where was that coming from all of sudden? The barrista seemed to sneak into his thoughts surprisingly often since their first meeting. Alarmingly often.

The errand boy returned his bike in top condition while the remaining photographers decked him in blinding flashes. Pulling on the padded leather gloves, he was speeding away as fast as possible. Enough socializing for one day and most definitely enough camera flashes that burned through his retina.

Not even a half hour later, he parked in front of the diner, a little relieved to see a Triumph Scrambler propped up in the vacant lot. So, Sol was there. He left the helmet by the bike again and already pulled at the tie constricting his throat. The barrista was moving over to the coffee machine, a smile on his face. “Didn’t think to see you again so soon.” Runaan shrugged, draping both the Leather jacket and his blazer on the seat beside him. “I’m in desperate need of a good coffee.” The melodic laugh he was rewarded with was worth the whole ordeal of this evening. “I can help with that.” He grabbed the cup with a grateful smile and deeply inhaled the smell of the beverage that made up a great part of his diet. Maybe a little to great.

Sol looked up from his book when the distinct rumble of a motorcycle sounded through the door. Could it be the engineer again? He sure hoped so. The nights were boring as they were but the short visits in the last two days really made it more bearable. He had to smile when the doors revealed the familiar white-haired figure. The guy was pulling at a tie around his neck with a frustrated expression. Contrary to his previous visits, he was now dressed in an expensive looking suit under the leather combo. He had to avert his eyes when the other rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, revealing built forearms and opened the top few buttons once the tie was finally gone. Sol found he looked a little exhausted and immediately noticed the smell of cold smoke when hopping on the counter. He felt a little bad for whatever it was that was bothering him and wanted to help.

“Want a cookie? I’m throwing them out otherwise.” Sol was now perched on the counter again, leaning over a little. It would totally fuck up today’s nutrition balance but now that he mentioned it, the engineer could smell the distinct note of chocolate chip. How many miles were a cookie? Too many, but who was he to turn down food? Especially cookies. “Sure.” With a grin, the short haired man hopped down and vanished in the kitchen only to return with two cookies seconds later. “I called Miss Illura today, she was really nice.” His reply got momentarily delayed since he had to properly worship the dessert first, breaking a small piece off to dip it into his coffee. “I’m glad you decided to give it a try.” He really was. “Yeah, well anything beats this-“ the barrista gestured around himself vaguely “-I would probably called if you’d offered me a place as a mascot.” Now it was his turn to laugh “Don’t be ridiculous. I’d have you as one of the prize girls.” The image of Sol in hot pants and a red bolero jacket got both of them breaking out into tears of laughter. They cackled for a good five minutes until it finally died down to the occasional giggle. It felt so good to joke around that Runaan realized how he’d missed social interaction besides from his team.

When he finally went to bed that night, the engineer had no trouble sleeping. The hour he’d spend on the treadmill gladly accepted in return of Sol’s company and the admittedly delicious cookie. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sol is on his way to the race and makes some discoveries.

The following two weeks passed in a blur. There was hardly any time between meetings and prepping the Moonshadow for his race for him to think about the barista. He’d actually called that day and Lujanne sent a package with general information to his address but otherwise he hadn’t really heard from the other. He was too busy to drop by the diner again and Lujanne handled the whole organisation, including phone calls. The two of them would arrive a day prior to the race so she organized a flight and shuttle for Sol a day later since the race was a few states away in Texas.

When Sol stepped out of his run-down apartment building at four in the morning, a sleek black limousine was already waiting for him. “Mr Ustrin?” The black-suited chauffeur asked, opening the door for him and taking care of his backpack. “I’m here on behalf of Moonshadow Enterprises to drive you to the Airport.”  The ride was pleasantly quiet and there was already a flight attendant waiting for him at the parking lot to take him through security. That must be how rich people felt, he thought when a stewardess delivered an already paid for breakfast to his business class seat. Another driver awaited him at the Texan airport to get him to the track. Once in the car, he could hear the chauffeur talking to the secretary, Miss Illura, via speaker. “We will be arriving in half an hour.”

“Thank you, Peter. I will await you at entrance C, drive safe.” Sol was really looking forward to see that woman in person. She had been so nice over the phone but he could sense a mischievous streak in her, too. Soon, the track came in to view and his driver expertly dodged every News Van on their way to the less populated entrance C. A tall, grey haired woman was already waiting for them next to the parking slots. “Good Morning Mr. Ustrin, I hope you had a pleasant flight.” She smiled as they shook hands. “Yes, thank you for flying me out here.” He still thought it was a lot of effort for someone who was still deciding whether he wanted the job. More so if that someone wasn’t really qualified.

She motioned for him to follow into the little tent village set up by the Moonshadow racing team and the other competitors. Teal banners with the companies crescent Logo flattered in the wind and everywhere, people were busy either setting up booths for the sponsors or carting around equipment. They entered one of the larger tents and the head secretary handed him a pile of dark green overalls. “Here you can change in there,” she pointed to a secluded area marked ‘paramedics’ “if you are going to be present in the box during the race you have to look like one of our employees. Otherwise they’ll think you are an affair.” He was a what now? “uh, okay?” Sol took the pile a little hesitantly and vanished behind the curtain. Surprisingly, the Overall fit like a glove. The barista chose not to think about how she’d managed to find his exact size. She beamed at him, handing him a company issued duffle bag for his clothes. “Great. You look perfect.”

“T-thanks” he stammered, hurrying to keep up with her considerably fast strides. “How much did he tell you already?” She asked as they entered the next tent, this time equipped with a conference table. “Um nothing?” he said as she beckoned him to sit down. “Typical” Lujanne slid into the chair next to him, placing a folder on the table. “This is your badge. It will grant you access to the whole Moonshadow camp and the track. Have it around your neck at all times.” He dutifully pulled the silver lanyard over his head. “There are a few ground rules. If I tell you to do something, you do it. It always has a good reason. Don’t do anything stupid in front of the press while clad in our colours, it will reflect badly on us. Don’t mess up his organizing system in the garage, he will kill you and do not touch any of the bikes without permission. Do you understand that?” He nodded. “Good, then let’s go meet your future employer.” They made a detour before that to get coffee and he noticed her preparing an additional cup. Probably for the racer.

Sol was more than curious to meet the famous founder of Moonshadow enterprises who also happened to be one of the best motorcyclists to ever run the track. He’d seen more than enough of his races to know the man really knew how to handle his bike. Though he still wondered whether he would see the guy again who got him the job offer in the first place. He must be important to the team if he was able to just offer anyone a job, right? After a few turns, they reached another tent, bigger than the ones he’d seen before. Outside were a man and a woman dressed in the same overalls unloading tires. ”Hey, Lujanne.” The woman greeted while regarding him with a curious look. “Good Morning Annie, Kourou.” The inside of the tent consisted of a large area with a portable kitchen and a garage on the other half. A bike he recognized as the Moonshadow was propped up on a stand. He could see someone lying on a roller board under it, rubbing away on the on the damper springs with a dirty rug. “Shouldn’t you be talking to the press associate of the event right now?” the secretary inquired in a surprisingly scolding tone at the figure dressed in sweatpants under the bike. “They rescheduled.” Came the muffled reply and it sounded suspiciously as if the guy was holding something between his teeth. “I brought coffee and your mechanic.” That seemed to get his attention as the rubbing motion stopped abruptly and he could see the other moving his feet to roll from under the hydraulic bench. When he did that, Sol could see that the other really held a screwdriver between his teeth and that it was the same guy who had been in the diner. “I’m glad you decided to come.” He said around the screwdriver in his mouth as he extended the hand he’d just freed of grime on his sweatpants. “Um, Good Morning?” Sol replied a little awkwardly, not really able to pinpoint the other’s position in the team. Miss Illura exchanged the rug in the man’s hand for a coffee cup and looked at him pointedly until the screwdriver was returned to it’s designated space on the worktable. Every piece of equipment was lined up like measured with a ruler. Now he knew what she meant by ‘organizing system’. That really bordered on insane. Suddenly aware of his daydreaming, he snapped his focus back on the other two. Instead of the black leather combo he’d worn in the diner, the guy now sported a sweat jacket with ripped off sleeves that was equally covered in motor oil as his formerly grey sweatpants. He also seemed to lack a t-shirt underneath it. The engineer was now clinging to the coffee mug as if it somehow contained a life elixir, nodding along as the secretary rattled down today’s timetable and the begin of the race forty minutes from now.

Once done, she left with the promise to return in time for the start. Meanwhile, Sol busied himself with examining the Moonshadow and the rest of the equipment in the tent. “You used my idea for the cooling system.” He realized once he took a closer look. “Yeah don’t sound so surprised. I told you it was a good idea.” The other was currently washing his hands properly in the sink at the kitchen counter. When he seemed satisfied with the state of his skin, he came walking over, freeing the long white hair from its messy ponytail and began to braid first the sides and then the top part away from his face so that the three braids joined in the back to a single one. “I still would’ve thought it would take longer for someone to actually use it.” A smirk appeared on the other’s face “I work pretty fast. Feel free to take a look around. There is nothing to do right now so, I don’t know, take your time getting accustomed to the atmosphere I guess.” By now, he’d finished the impressively tidy braid and went over to the bike to get it on the ground. Sol briefly thought about offering his help but remembered the rule about not touching the bikes and examined the tools instead. All of which were so clean he could probably eat with them. It turned out the other got the Moonshadow down in a matter of seconds, so he figured there hadn’t been much to help with in the first place. Rolled to the tent exit, the mechanic? left the bike and went over to a locker, taking off the dirty hoodie and tossing it in the one next to it. Sol was way too busy staring to even think about looking away as he took out an under armour shirt and pulled it on, the fitted material doing nothing to hide his toned torso. The sweatpants followed and the barista was glad he already wore the undersuit pants beneath them. Next were dark green and teal leather pants and matching boots that connected through a complicated looking buckle-system. He also took a jacket and helmet but dumped them on the couch before walking over to the bike again. Something in his mind clicked. “Wait, you are Runaan Lunaris?” the man in question shrugged, swinging a leg over the saddle. “Yeah?” Sol wanted the earth to open up and swallow him right then and there. He’d called the world’s most renowned engineer in his field a ‘shit mechanic’. To his face. “And you didn’t tell me?!” with a soft smile Runaan watched the engine come to life, patting the tank lovingly. “What does it matter? Besides you would have never told me of your idea had you known. I like to keep a low profile.” The barista swore he had to be as red as a tomato by now. “Uh I, I don’t know?” the engine died down again and the racer came walking back to collect the rest of his gear. Sol watched with interest as the long braid was securely tucked under the shirt before he shrugged into the rigid leather jacket. Once it was zipped up and buckled into the pants, his helmet followed suit. However, he opened the visor again, probably to still be able to hear. Lujanne chose that moment to come rushing back into the tent. “Ah, you are ready. Perfect. We will meet you at the track. Follow me.” Runaan threw her a mock salute before snapping the visor shut and climbing on the bike while she ushered Sol out of the tent and held the flap for her boss to drive past.

“Why do you look so spooked?” the personal assistant inquired on their way to the side-lines of the track reserved for Moonshadow racing. “I just found out that the guy who wanted to hire me is not some engineer but the owner of one of the leading companies in this field and I might have insulted him and his work on our first meeting.” A shudder ran down his spine just thinking about it. Lujanne just laughed while they whisked past security. “I see now why he likes you. He lives for a challenge.” How could she possibly find his misery funny? “You don’t think he’s offended?” she shook her head, hair bouncing lightly in the bun atop her head. “The main reason why he fired the last few mechanics was that they never dared to object his changes. And I know from personal experience that the ideas coming out of that mind of his do sometimes border on insane. You don’t want to know how many backup bikes of the Moonshadow model are trashed every season because of that. Not to mention the hospital visits.” Hospital visits? That sounded safe.

He found it a little odd how freely the secretary spoke to him, a complete stranger, over her boss. By now, they had reached their designated place besides the brackets and the distinct deep growl of a motorcycle engine cut through the air before he could ask any further. Sol instinctively snapped his eyes towards the noise. A sleek dark green and lagoon coloured bike came into vision. The Moonshadow. Runaan pulled to a stop in front of them with screeching tires, causing his assistant to scrunch her nose in disapproval. “You took a detour.” The engineer flicked his visor up, looking at her with wide innocent eyes. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I’m the first here anyways.” She huffed, shaking her head in the process but let him be. “Did you finish all the pre-checks? Fuel? Gear?” A nod. “Everything in place and ready to go.” The visor went down again, hiding his features.

Sol could have sworn Lujanne looked relieved. “Remember, it’s just a fundraiser. Keep it simple okay?” her remark got dismissed with a shrug. “You worry too much.”

“And you worry too little.” She rapped her knuckles on his helmet once before stepping away in the direction of the press area. A faint flash of white behind the tinted visor indicated the racer was grinning widely.

“Good luck, I guess.” What did one say in such a situation? Just then, the three-minute countdown sounded over the track’s speakers, calling the drivers to their respective brackets. Runaan threw him a sloppy salute and pulled over onto the track, engine roaring. Sol decided to return to the pits of Moonshadow racing. Staying on the track seemed like a bad idea considering there would be a dozen motorcycles racing by soon. The pit crew solely consisted of the two workers he’d seen earlier, Annie and Kourou if he remembered correctly. They were busy arranging tools and spare parts. After observing them for a few minutes he noticed it was the exact same order he’d seen in the tent when he arrived. That seemed oddly specific. Though he assumed in a sport where everything had to be as efficient as possible, it made sense to stick to a certain order. He stopped when they set up a gurney and medical supplies. “What’s all that for?” the girl turned to him with a smile “Ah, you are the new guy, right? Janne mentioned you’d be coming today. She makes us set this up just in case. The track has a whole team of paramedics but she likes to make sure to cover everything.” Sol nodded, offering his hand “Yes, my name is Sol. Nice to meet you Annie, right?” she beamed, shaking his hand with a surprisingly strong grip. “Yeah, nice to meet you, too. This is Kourou.” Her gesture towards the boy who was currently flicking on the screens installed in the garage was vague but then he was the only one around. “Hi.” He briefly turned around to wave “Come on, we will miss the start.” On the screen, they could now see the start line and drivers lined up. The lights turned from yellow to green, Motorcycles speeding away. When the image changed to a bird’s perspective, following their way through the track, he switched to the racing info on one of the screens.

Kourou leaned back in his seat, scanning the stats displayed. “Cleaning duty says he’s getting second.” Annie immediately took him up on the bet. “No way, Boss got this in the bag.” Her colleague seemed to disagree “Nah, I mean there are two in front of him and he literally just changed the whole cooling system which by the way is still not properly tested and almost melted one of the backups under his ass. It would be smarter to take it easy this run.” On the screen, the Moonshadow slowly gained ground to the two Motorcycles close to each other at the front. Annie raised her eyebrows as the distance grew smaller and smaller. “Smarter? We talkin’ about the same person?” Her colleague groaned. “I better prepare for clean-up. But if that bike catches fire you’re scraping if from the tarmac.” Fire? Fire sounded a lot worse than Kourou’s tone made it seem. “Why would it overheat?” he was pretty sure the cooling system was safe. Annie also looked overly calm at the prospect of a bike catching fire mid-race at more than 200 miles per hour. “Well, more cooling fluid adds more weight and that slows the bike so I think he calculated it to last for one run. It should be fine.” Fine? That sounded way too risky to be fine.

“Um-“ he started but was immediately cut off by Kourou. “Annie stop freaking him out. Boss’ gonna be fine, he only crashed twice so far. On a race that is.” Twice? _Only_ twice? That was definitely two times too many. How exactly was that supposed to make him feel better?

Sol kept his eyes on the screen from then on, desperately hoping the other wouldn’t crash due to a change he had inspired. At the end of the first round, Runaan had obtained second place and was close to making first. He followed Annie to the edge of the tarmac as the racers sped by. Sol was barley able to make out which bike was which, the colours blurring into each other. “Wow, you really shouldn’t get too close to that.” She nodded, clearing the way to the garage of tires and tools. “Worse than a herd of angry cattle.” Interesting Analogy. “Can I hep you with that?” he asked instead, gesturing for the stack of tires. She smiled and readily agreed. “Yeah sure, thanks.” Together, they relocated the stack so the path was completely free. Annie tucked a strand of her blond hair back behind her ear as they went back to watch the race. “Have you decided if you are taking the job, yet?” Sol paused, he wouldn’t have thought her being interested in that. “I think so? I haven’t signed, yet, but the offer is better than I could hope for.” Both of them nodded in unison. “Yeah, he does pay pretty good.”

“Oh, look!” Annie pointed at the screen. “There he goes, winning my bet for me.” Her smile was satisfied as Runaan leaned his bike in an almost impossible angle, knee scraping the tarmac. He passed the other racer, his name flipping to first place in the infographic. The drivers reached the finish line one by one but instead of stopping, the racer sped by the line of reporters, heading for the pits. “Shit, something’s wrong. Rou, get the fire extinguisher.” Sol took a few steps back, getting out of the way as well as he could in the small space. Not a second too late seeing Runaan was speeding in, leaving a strip of burned rubber in his wake, all but jumping off the machine as soon as it was standing still. Kourou immediately coated the whole thing in white smoke, apparently stopping it from catching fire. Meanwhile, his soon to be boss ripped the helmet from his head, taking a deep breath. “Okay, that was definitely not enough cooling fluid. Annie do you have the backup?” She nodded, pointing to the front of the garage where another, identical bike was propped up. “Great, see you later.” And off he was again, driving back to the other racers. “What the hell just happened?” Sol was just short of freaking out. That motorcycle almost caught fire.

The other members of the pit crew looked rather unconcerned. “The bike’s fine. Moonie just has a few melted panels.” Annie tapped the area in question with her left boot, causing two deformed casing panels to clatter on the floor. “Does, um, does that happen often?” he eyed the front of the bike and found her, just like she said, mostly intact. Kourou shook his head, turning to clean up the mess his fire extinguished had made on the floor. “Nah, not really. Usually these things get tested thoroughly but since this wasn’t a qualifying race, well, worse things happened to racers on the track. At least he brought her back in one piece.” Sol decided then that everyone working in this industry was at least one kind of insane. “We should clean up before Lujanne comes back-“ Annie was already returning the tools to several boxes. “-she won’t be amused if she sees this. Sol, can you help me with the tools while Kourou takes the Moonshadow back to the tent?” he nodded, already picking up a toolbox himself. “Sure.”

In the end, Sol decided he liked the duo. Yes, they were a little weird, but he found their banter and teasing much more entertaining than the lonely hours in the diner, waiting on the occasional customer to show up.

Runaan joined them in the main tent shortly after they returned from the pit lane. He had his jacket slung around his waist, but the helmet was still in place, covering his features completely. He’d barley left the bike and taken off the helmet as the secretary whisked past Sol and sniffed at the engineer’s leather combo disapprovingly. “You have a press conference in twenty minutes, take a shower you reek of champagne.” He raised his arms in surrender. “Hey, I didn’t invent that custom. But yeah, it does feel extremely gross. You’d think one gets used to it over time.” Runaan pat the hull of the bike he’d ridden in the race before turning towards a secluded area of the tent. “I’ll be back in ten. Don’t wait for me with Lunch.” Lujanne threw a bag after him, turning to the fridge to pull out a few of takeout containers.

The Indian takeaway the secretary re-heated was surprisingly good. He briefly wondered where she’d got if from seeing there was nothing around the track besides Texan desert.

Sol greatly enjoyed the atmosphere of the small team. They all seemed so at ease with each other, more or less ignoring ranks and formalities altogether. Though it was clear Lujanne was the boss and had ultimate decisive power when Runaan wasn’t around. During the lunch he found out that the pair was the only permanent crew with additional staff for bigger events during the season. Lujanne embodied the positions of personal Assistant, head secretary and PR-Manager. How the woman was able to do all that at once was beyond him. When he told her as much she simply shrugged and said working for a big firm had been far more exhausting and she liked organizing things. It turned out Runaan mostly gave her free hand over everything so she could shape most things to her liking.

The man in question joined them at the table roughly seven minutes after he’d left, now clad in sports clothes and his company’s colours. They looked suspiciously picked out by the PA and sported the Crescent logo on his breast and back. His long white hair was still wet and tucked into a neat braid that reached his hips. Runaan stifled a yawn after flopping down on the last empty chair and accepted the plate his assistant pushed towards him gratefully. Sol watched the guy wolf down two plates while Lujanne talked him through the upcoming press conference and the two crew members continued to tease each other. It was interesting to see them prep for the most likely questions because she mostly just looked a little judgy whenever the racer said something very unfit for a press conference. He could tell the other mostly did it to spite her but still paid close attention to what she wanted him to say. Sol had to smile at the scene that looked so awfully normal despite the race and everything.

At the end of the day Lujanne informed him that he’d be staying in the same hotel as the rest of the them and that she had booked him a room next to her’s and Runaan’s. They all had dinner together in the hotel’s restaurant from which the engineer excused himself rather early to go for a run though he didn’t really seem happy about the prospect of excercise. It was still early when the rest of them retied to their rooms and Sol decided to go for a swim in the hotel pool. He hadn’t packed any swim clothes but quickly realised the hotel, a really fancy one, had provided both swim trunks and a bath robe for the use of the spa area.

When he arrived at the pool, it was occupied by a single swimmer he recognized as his soon to be boss. Sol scanned the room and found the other’s towel and bathrobe on one of the lounges. A single half-full whisky glass was perched on the edge of the pool. He contemplated leaving but decided against it. The barista didn’t want his track through the four-star hotel in a bathrobe be for nothing and the hot tub in the far corner of the room looked really inviting. Careful to not disturb the other, he avoided the edge of the pool as best as he could and slowly lowered himself into the hot water, immediately feeling the relief after such an eventful day. Sol tracked the other’s position for a few minutes before he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander. His thoughts were disturbed as he sensed movement outside the water. Runaan was apparently done swimming and now walking towards him. Towel in one hand and Whisky in the other. He set both down next to Sol’s things and plucked something out of his ears. Headphones? They were connected to an MP3 player via cable that was clipped onto his dark blue swim trunks. He removed both before taking up the whisky again and settling into the hot water on the opposite side of the tub. “How long have you been here?” Sol glanced at the vintage clock mounted to the wall. “Um, maybe thirty minutes?”

“Why didn’t you say something?” he swallowed, suddenly very aware that he was sharing a hot tub with his future employer. “I, uh, I didn’t want to disturb your training.” Runaan chuckled, taking a sip from his Whisky. “Ah, don’t worry. I mostly do that to make my Nutritionist happy. And Lujanne of course.” There was a slight note of mischief in his voice, indicating that this usually wasn’t his goal at all. “You have a Nutritionist?” he couldn’t within but ask. Another chuckle, this time paired with a small grimace. “Yeah, he’s a pain in the ass, really. My sponsors require me to have one but I mostly ignore him.” Sol wasn’t really familiar with how much influence sponsors generally had on their athlete’s lifestyles. To be honest, he found the concept rather strange. “What does a Nutritionist do exactly?” Of course, that didn’t mean he wasn’t interested. “Tells me which food groups I shouldn’t consume, which are all the good ones by the way. I even have a meal plan for the weekdays. It’s ridiculous. I also have to take a health exam every month and complete a certain amount of exercise.” He took another sip from the Glass cradled in his right. ”They add up when I stray from the plan-“ a vague gesture towards the now still pool “-hence the swimming.” Sol couldn’t imagine having someone monitor your every move. “How do they know you did?” Food intake was rather hard to monitor after all. Runaan lifted his left arm in response, wriggling his wrist. It was adjourned with a sleek digital watch that looked pretty expensive. “One of my company’s products actually. I kind of dug my own grave there. It’s basically a fitness tracker that monitors your vitals and sends them to the health department. Only that it can track much more than ordinary ones. Like caloric intake for example.” The barista shivered despite the hot water at the thought of someone having access to all that information 24/7. “Why don’t you take it off?” though that would probably be way too easy. “Nah. It’d show up in the stats. My contract allows my sponsors access to the health data, but I can refuse information of certain hours for personal reasons.” For a moment Sol’s mind considered those reasons before he could stop himself. He felt his cheeks heat up and was suddenly grateful for the hot water that kept a constant flush on his face ever since he’d sat down. “Ah, I-I see.”

“It’s not that bad. Lujanne checks it over before forwarding it.” That woman seemed to be a really important part of the company. He also suspected that nothing would work out if she wasn’t around. The members of the team he’d met so far all had that distinct chaotic energy to them, even Runaan. Especially Runaan.

The man in question mustered him over the rim of his tumbler. “Have you decided, yet?” Ah, yes, the offer. “You haven’t told me what exactly my job would be.” A hum. “Oh, well I need a mechanic. I can’t do repairs myself during a race. Or I can, but it costs time I don’t have. I would also like you to work in development with me. I need a different perspective on some things. Janne’s right when she says I’m holed up in my garage too long to come up with anything useful outside of racing.” The engineer gave him plenty of time to answer, settling lower into the water, arms braced on the edge of the hot tub. “You know-“ now it was Sol’s turn to smirk. “I would’ve probably taken it even if you had me fetch coffee the whole day.” Runaan chuckled with a devious smile. “Who says I don’t want you to make coffee? The Espresso you made was pretty decent.” A warm sensation spread in his chest at the careless banter. Months of inconsistent shifts at the vacant diner had him more than a little deprived of social contact. He hated being alone more than anything, always playing the TV or Music in his run-down Apartment whenever he was there. Keeping up with friends war hard if one was doing night shifts after all.

Just now, he realized that the other sported a fairly large tattoo on his chest. The light blue crescent shapes wound into each other on his left, creating a bold tribal pattern that passed up over his shoulder. It looked rather good, how hadn’t he noticed it before?

With a glance to his watch, Runaan tipped back the remnants of his Whisky and moved to leave, water trailing down his toned chest. Sol’s mouth went dry. That guy was so his type. “Our plane leaves at 8:30. I would recommend getting some sleep before that. Pretty sure Lujanne will want to talk you through the contract during the flight.” He was momentarily pulled from his musings. “Uh, yeah, sure. You’re probably right.” A small smile appeared on the other’s face as he stood there in the little puddle the water dripping from his swim trunks had created. “Breakfast is at six, see you there.” With that, Runaan slung the towel he’d picked up around his neck and vanished in the general direction of the elevator. Sol stared at the door long after he’d left, trying to work out what exactly he’d done that karma granted him a hot guy and a great job at the same time. Of course, he’d be admiring only. There was no way he’d start a relationship with his employer. Though there was no crime in looking, was there?

The next morning, he found himself seated on a table with the personal assistant in a mostly vacant hotel dining room after not nearly enough sleep. His soon to be employer was nowhere to be seen. Sol awkwardly nibbled on a croissant while Lujanne tapped away on her laptop with her right hand, a cup of Latte Macchiato in the other. After a few minutes, she looked at her watch with a sigh, turning on the Bluetooth headset that was fastened to her ear. A couple of taps on her phone later, she waited for the call to connect and the other person to pick up.

“Get your ass down here.” Was all she said before hanging up again, not even bothering to wait for an answer.

He was still nibbling on the croissant when a very grumpy looking Runaan entered the room, clad in sweatpants and a hoodie that obstructed most of his face. The racer made a detour to the self-service coffee maker on his way to their table, setting down two double Espressos. One of which he tipped back immediately seemingly unfazed by the hot liquid. He grumbled a “Morning” that sounded like he’d swallowed glass and stifled a yawn as he eyed the displayed foods a few feet away on the buffet. “Good Morning, Sunshine.” Lujanne teased and closed her laptop with a slight click, taking a croissant from the basket for herself. Runaan muttered something under his breath and stood again, walking over to the buffet table. He returned shortly after with a huge bowl of cereal and fruits.

Sol watched as dumped two yoghurts and a few spoonful’s of sugar into it, mixing the whole thing. When the engineer wasn’t looking Lujanne shot him a smirk, rolling her eyes at the odd breakfast. He was currently debating whether or not he should get another croissant as Runaan produced a silver USB-Stick from his Hoodie’s front pocket and slid it over to his assistant. She immediately took it and plugged it into her computer. On the first try. He was impressed. “I finished the design for the new bike. A few minor adjustments and we can go into testing.” With a nod, the grey-haired woman opened the first file, showing a 3D model of a sleek dark grey motorcycle. From his position, Sol could only see about half of the screen, but he immediately recognized the layout of the blueprints portrayed on the side from his time in college. Usually most people used computer programs for those things nowadays, but they looked hand-drawn. Not scanned, only hand-drawn. The white-haired man turned the screen towards him a bit more. “What do you think?”

He gave the whole model a quick once over before clicking on one of the blueprints. “I like what you did with the windshield, the angle provides more cover while still not disturbing the streamline. Though I would probably change the mantle here-“ he tapped the screen “-and here so you have less surface vulnerable to side wind.”

Runaan regarded his assistant with a smirk that seemed to say ‘I told you so.’ And turned the Laptop towards himself again, plucking the USB stick from the port. He watched the silent exchange with growing interest. Why did he feel like he’d just passed a test?

On the flight back, Lujanne produced a surprisingly thick binder that apparently housed the contract she’d made for him. They went over every detail while occasionally being interrupted by the stewards asking whether anyone still wanted something to eat or drink. At some point it almost bordered annoying. The secretary however stayed polite the entire time, often declining but sometimes she would order another coffee or snack. She had placed the binder on both their foldable tables so he could read along as she spoke and made sure he understood every paragraph. On his left side Runaan sat on the window seat, completely engrossed in his work. As soon as they had taken their seats, the other had covered his ears with the noise cancelling headphones previously slung around his neck and set up a tablet that was connected to a drawing pad he held in his lap. Sol watched with interest as the screen flicked to life with more blueprints. To his disappointment, Lujanne had demanded his full attention shortly after the engineer started editing the layouts with a digital pen and h had to force his eyes away from the screen. That’s why they looked hand-drawn. Interesting.

Sol was pretty sure he’d signed his name over a hundred times while the secretary placed confidentiality agreement after agreement in front of him. It didn’t surprise him that they wanted to make sure their tech stayed safe but some of the requirements were just ridiculous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think! since this story is meant to be open I'm also taking ideas/requests for the further development!

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoy my stories check out my tumblr rumo-writes for more! I also take requests and story suggestions.


End file.
